We Got There in the End
by YupThatsMySock
Summary: Newlyweds Naruto and Sakura are separated during a seven-month assignment for Naruto on an island Konoha wants for commerce. Though he can't reply to her, Sakura sends him heartfelt letters in which her love and loneliness is sealed. Oneshot.


Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, it wouldn't be fanfiction.

Title was inspired by the translation of the lyrics of Hamasaki Ayumi's song "Dearest". Reviews are love!

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><p>Dear Naruto,<p>

Well, you've been gone for a whole day now. I feel kind of silly for writing this so soon after you've left, but after a day of restlessness, my feet carried me over to the table and I pulled out a scroll and a quill and now I'm writing.

When you got assigned as the leader of this mission, I was so excited for you. Exploring and classifying a new found island- it's something out of my dreams, it seems like. I hope that once the mission is over with, we can visit this island. I can't help but wonder what it will be called- Village Hidden in the Jungle, perhaps?

It's raining right now, Naruto. It's pouring- thunder and lightning, too. It's been storming since last night. Usually, I like the rain- it's a nice break from the sunshine. Oh, does that sounds strange? I mean that, after days and days of sun, rainy days are special.

But...it was lonely last night, really- the rain was pounding and beating against the windows and lightning was lighting the room every few minutes, but I was all alone in bed. I couldn't feel your warmth nearby, couldn't sense your breathing...there was no one to wrap my arms around. Well, there was a pillow, but pillows don't hug back, do they?

I know that while you're on your mission, you can receive mail but you're not allowed to write back. Lady Tsunade said that it could be years until you come back. That's okay- I'll wait for years, hundreds of years, for you to come back, and write a letter for every moment that you're gone.

I miss you, Naruto. I am constantly surprised that you chose me. I don't deserve someone as wonderful as you, and even the ring on my finger doesn't seem like adequate proof of your love. I fear that you'll realize how much better you could do than someone like me, and grow tired of me. But your happiness, Naruto, is my happiness, and you mean the world to me.

Have I told you how much I love you lately? Can you even venture a guess? Try- I guarantee you it will be exponentially more than you could ever dream.

Love,

Your Sakura.

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><p>Dear Naruto,<p>

You've been gone for a week now. How are things on the island? I hope you got my last letter and that things are going well for you.

Temari came over today and she had a several basketfuls of flowers- she told me she'd gotten drunk and bought all the flowers that a vendor had and now she had too many and the pollen was making her eyes water. They're very pretty; I wish you could see them and smell them. I've put them on every windowsill and every table and opened the curtains all the way to let the sun in. It's so beautiful in the house right now.

I baked cookies yesterday (today is Saturday) and took them over to Hinata's house. Neji was training her children in the gentle fist while she took care of business around the house. Did I tell you that Neji was supposed to join you on your mission on the island a few days ago, but couldn't because he got hurt on a different mission? He looked over at me when I went past him in the Hyuuga yard and there were bandages all over his face and arms. I felt awful for him- Hinata was worried about him too. She's also worried about Kiba- will you tell him she said she misses him?

Tenten also visited me on Monday, and we went to the hospital to visit Neji. I feel bad for them- even though they're married now, it seems as if they never see each other, being on various missions and all. I'm glad that now they have a better chance to be together because she as to take care of him for a while.

Lady Tsunade says that according to reports things on the island are going fairly well. I was relieved to hear that- maybe soon you'll come back safely and we'll have a whole new Village.

Have I told you how much I love you? More than there are stars in the sky.

Love,

Your Sakura

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><p>Dear Naruto,<p>

Two weeks. It feels like longer.

I'm ashamed to admit that I've become...used to not having you here. I've gotten accustomed to waking up on the morning and no longer expecting to see you next to me, or to hear your laugh, or to feel you wrap your arms around me. Even though I may be a little used to it, that doesn't mean that I miss it. I miss you so much, I miss the things you do, I miss the person that I am when you're with me, and most of all, I miss the comfort of knowing you're nearby. It's so lonely, it's so cold. Sometimes I am going about my business when a sight or scent or movement is a reminder of what life used to be like, with you here, and then my heart hurts so much I can't speak. I feel my hand travel to my aching chest and I double over, crying. It happens at home, mostly, but the other day it happened at the park, and the day before that, at the grocery. I was too overcome by longing to be embarrassed. Temari nearly had to make me drunk to pull me up out of my manic depression.

I know it's pathetic of me. It's weak and sickening to see a grown woman of twenty-five suddenly bawling like a child, crouched on the ground, hand over her mouth as she sobs, trying to stifle the sounds of her wails. Tell me though- if someone else was in my place, would they feel the same way, do the same thing?

Kiba came home yesterday, as you know, due to illness. Hinata asked if I could come along to help when she went to get him, and I agreed to. The first thing Kiba said when he saw me was, "He wants you to know he misses you too and loves you more than life itself. He says, 'Thank you for the letters...they bring light into my life and fill my days with song.' You've made him happier than you can ever know."

I dropped his bag of provisions on the ground and crumpled to my knees next to his stretcher, sobbing, "Thank you, thank you," over and over until the words lost meaning somewhere in their travel from my mouth and my ears. I was so happy that Kiba and Hinata started crying too.

Naruto, have I told you how much I love you today? More than the breaths I take.

Love,

Your Sakura

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><p>Dear Naruto,<p>

Wow, a month already- time has flown. Sorry that I have taken so long to write, but I've been busy with missions. The life of a jounin is like that, I suppose.

I have started adjusting to life on my own, but not a day passes me by where I don't think about you and miss you.

Lady Tsunade has taken up violin, much to my surprise. I was walking to her office one day when I heard this screeching sound from her open window. Wasting no time, I leapt up and jumped in that window, only to find her standing there, violin in hand, holding the bow all wrong. Naturally, I was a little ticked that she'd fooled me, and my ears were ringing from what I now realized was her first attempt at playing.

Ino left a few days ago to go to the island. How is everything going over there? Have you discovered anyone on the island, or any plants and animals that we don't usually see here in the village?

I was listening to some women talk the other day, and both of their husbands, sons, and daughters were on missions. One of the women was lamenting the loss of her eldest child, who had recently died.

I was suddenly very afraid- I wondered instantly if life on the island was dangerous. I sprinted to Lady Tsunade's office and demanded to know if you were in any danger on this mission. She answered evasively, "There's always potential dangers on missions."

That's when I knew. That's when I knew that you could die any day and I would never know. I would never know because you can't correspond with me. I would never get to say goodbye properly.

That scares me, Naruto. That scares me enough to want to scream.

...Have I told you how much I love you today? More than the warmth of the sun.

Love,

Your Sakura

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><p>Dear Naruto,<p>

Wow, four months! It seems like forever.

I recently completed a mission that was rather dangerous- I now have a long scar reaching all the way up my arm. That's why I couldn't write for three months- my arm has been in a splint. I'm sorry if I worried you.

How are things where you are? Things over here are going well. Shikamaru came back because he had nearly died, but you know that already...I asked him how you were and he said, "He's depressed that he hasn't gotten a letter from you in so long." Temari told him to "Shut up, that isn't what she wants to hear," but I realized that she was right- I could have had someone write for me, couldn't I? But my letters to you...they're personal. I have to write them or they don't feel real.

...Be careful, Naruto. I'm even more worried about you.

I have to go now. I have a mission to go on to the Village Hidden in the Mist and that will be over the course of two months. I promise I'll stay safe and write as soon as I can.

Have I told you how much I love you, Naruto? More than the scent of flowers.

Love,

Your Sakura

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><p>Dear Naruto,<p>

I'm on a new mission right now. It's been a total of seven months since you left. I miss you more than ever, my blonde idiot, my darling boy. The snow's getting colder. It's hard to believe that it's January already.

My teammates are asleep- there's Temari and Tenten and Sai. I can only see because the moon is so bright, and I had to go to the top of a tree just to get that light. I stood on the top branches and I looked over all the other trees with their snowy tops and it was like a vast wasteland of shimmering white. It was so beautiful that I cried and wished you were here to see it.

I can't talk for long. I'm so worried about you, Naruto. Lady Tsunade says that the island mission became too dangerous, that you will be coming back any day now. I'll keep writing until then, I swear it.

...Do you remember? Once upon a time, there was you and me, a girl and a boy, and it took so long to finally be together. We took the long way, didn't we? You and I got hurt a lot, and we were confused, and it was awkward, wasn't it? I was a little- no, extremely- awful to you. I feel bad about it now, and I felt bad about it then. But last night, it made me...laugh. I laughed for the first time in months. I remembered when you proposed to me. Do you remember that? We were going to visit Jiraya-senei's grave and when we were there, you asked me if you could talk to me...I think we took a walk and that's when you asked me if I could spend forever with you.

I promise you, Naruto. I will spend forever with you, even if forever means that death had parted us.

I still think sometimes about those days, those days where we fought (well, I fought) and we were hurt by each other as much as we were healed? We took the long way...

...but we got there in the end, didn't we?

Have I told you how much I love you? I love you more than the distance between each universe and back again.

Love,

Your Sakura

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><p>Dear Naruto,<p>

They brought your body back today.

...Have I told you how much I love you?

...More than life itself.

Love, eternally and forever,

Your Sakura


End file.
